Does addition of craving management tools in a stop smoking app improve quit rates among adult smokers? Results from BupaQuit pragmatic pilot randomised controlled trial
Introduction: Delivery of craving management tools (CMTs) via smartphone applications (apps) may improve smoking cessation rates, but research on such programmes remains
limited, especially in real-world settings. This study evaluated the effectiveness of adding CMTs in a cessation app (BupaQuit). /
Methods: The study was a two-arm pragmatic pilot parallel randomised controlled trial, comparing a fully-automated BupaQuit app with CMT with a control app version without
CMT. A total of 425 adult UK-based daily smokers were enrolled through open online recruitment (February 2015-March 2016), with no researcher involvement, and individually randomised within the app to the intervention (n=208) or control (n=217). The primary outcome was self-reported 14-day continuous abstinence assessed at 4-week follow-up. Secondary outcomes included 6-month point-prevalence and sustained abstinence, and app usage. The primary outcome was assessed with Fisher’s exact test using intent to treat with those lost to follow-up counted as smoking. Participants were not reimbursed. /
Results: Re-contact rates were 50.4% at 4 weeks and 40.2% at 6 months. There was no significant difference between intervention and control arms on the primary outcome (13.5% vs 15.7%; p=0.58;RR=0.86, 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=0.54-1.36) or secondary cessation outcomes (6-month point prevalence: 14.4% vs. 17.1%, p=0.51;RR=0.85, 95%CI=0.54-1.32; 6-month sustained: 11.1% vs 13.4%, p=0.55,RR=0.83,95%CI=0.50-1.38). Bayes factors supported the null hypothesis (B[0, 0,1.0986]=.20). Usage was similar across the conditions (mean/median logins: 9.6/4 vs. 10.5/5; time spent: 401.8/202s vs. 325.8/209s). /
Conclusions: The addition of craving management tools did not affect cessation, and the limited engagement with the app may have contributed to this
